


Halloween Fun With A Grump

by ParadoxRose



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Genre: Barely anything fits with canon, But I don't care, Gen, Halloween, High-key salty that there's no content for this character, Many Many Headcanons, Pumpkin carving, Titles? What are those?, i can do what i want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-09 05:32:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16443818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ParadoxRose/pseuds/ParadoxRose
Summary: Zatanna attempts to teach Equinox how to carve pumpkins





	Halloween Fun With A Grump

**Author's Note:**

> All of you ignoring Equinox as a character are cowards. Especially you, DC Comics.  
> Just a bit of indulgent writing because it's close to Halloween and I wanted to write something for the order and chaos bastard. I love him, honestly. Please enjoy and happy Halloween!

“So…what is the point of this again?”

Hands on her hips, Zatanna seemed all too proud of herself and the two large pumpkins sitting on the table.

“It’s for fun. You know, you carve a face into it and put a candle inside and you have a nice decoration to put outside.” He continued to stare at her flatly, and she smiled with a sigh, “It’s for the holiday, sweetie.”

“Seems like there are better ways I could spend that time.” Equinox replied with a shrug, not against the idea, just failing to see the appeal. Zatanna gave a mock huff and walked over, grabbing his hand and dragging him to the other side of the table with her.

“You’re a _human_ now, and humans like to do activities for no reason except because it makes them feel good. It makes them feel happy.” Equinox opened his mouth to speak again, but she cut him off, “Just try it, please? You might end up liking it.” She gave him that big smile just for good measure. Equinox looked at her for a second before rolling his eyes with a long sigh.

“Fine.”

Zatanna’s smile widened and he shook his head as she went to retrieve two very sharp knives, perfect for the task. Ever since she had discovered Equinox running about on Earth again she had practically become his caretaker, introducing him to the parts of the world that he hadn’t known about while being a powerful magical being. Sure, she had been wary of him at first, considering he’d tried to reshape the universe to create perfect balance, but he’d proven that he was looking for a new, different purpose. A second chance. And being a hero was all about giving second chances.

“Please be careful with that.” Equinox said as she came back with the knives, brushing that bothersome blonde curl out of his face.

“Are you concerned about me?” She grinned.

“Merely prefer that neither of us end up harmed.” Equinox retorted, narrowing his eyes at her cheekiness. One eye dark, the other gold.

“That’s not a no.” Zatanna returned in a sing-song voice. She handed him one of the knives, noticing the brief tug at one corner of his lips, barely a smile. She didn’t comment on it, but it did make her own smile widen. Even if he did try and act apathetic, she did manage to eventually get through to him with her winning personality.

“So, first you have to cut in a circle around the stem. Like… _this_.” She started cutting into her own pumpkin, struggling a little but eventually managing to saw her way around the tough rind. Glancing over, she saw Equinox doing the same, still managing to watch and listen to her instructions. She could swear that he was doing better with his pumpkin than she was with hers, and she didn’t know if it was deliberate or not.

“ _Okay_.” Zatanna huffed when she finished, placing the knife on the table and grabbing two spoons from the sink, “Now you have to dig all of the guts out of the pumpkin. Get as much out as you can.” Equinox continued to follow on and continued to remain silent. Was he actually enjoying himself and would she seem too pushy if she asked? That was always the question. She was starting to sound like Vic Sage.

At some point while she was busy disembowelling her pumpkin, Zatanna glanced over again. She then stopped and looked again.

“Where did your guts go?”

“My organs are still inside of me.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” She crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly. Equinox remained smiling, perfectly innocent. He was _never_ innocent when he smiled like that.

“You said you were going to calm down with the magic.” Zatanna said.

“I am.” Equinox defended, smile dropping as he gestured to the pumpkin, “I didn’t want to touch the insides, they’re too…too…”

“…Icky?” Zatanna supplied, teasing.

“Yes, icky.” He conceded. Zatanna snorted and laughed. Equinox crossed his arms with a scowl.

“Oh come on, don’t sulk.”

“I’m not sulking.” He sulked. Zatanna tapped his arm comfortingly.

“It’s fine. You’re allowed to think the insides are icky.” She nodded towards the table, “Can we finish carving these now?” Equinox rolled his eyes again, but in the same pretend annoyance as before.

“I suppose so.”

“Good.” She turned back to the table, tilting her pumpkin up to look at his currently blank face, but then she pushed her lip out in a small pout as she suddenly remembered, “Markers…oh, shoot.” She looked up at Equinox, who raised his eyebrows and inclined his head.

“Okay _fine_.” Zatanna threw her hands in the air. Equinox nodded and rolled his wrist toward the table, a simple movement that caused two black markers to materialise on the tabletop. He offered one to Zatanna, who yoinked it out of his hand while trying not to look like she had momentarily been defeated because she forgot the office supplies.

“Don’t sulk.” Equinox told her, echoing her earlier words.

“Don’t you laugh at me, mister pumpkin guts.” Zatanna retorted. Equinox gave a slight chuckle before uncapping his marker.

“I draw a face on it now, right?”

“Yes.” Determined to get back to having fun, Zatanna squatted down to eye level with the orange fruit, “And then after you’ll carve out the bits that you drew.” Equinox frowned, but started. It was about five seconds and then-

“There.”

Zatanna looked over and shook her head.

“Sweetie, no.” It was little more than a smiley face, complete with the circle for a head. She turned it around for a blank canvas as Equinox looked at her with confusion.

“It has to be more than one line so you can see the light that’s inside of it. And the face should be spooky. Here, watch.”

She started drawing on her own pumpkin, squatting down again. Equinox hovered behind her, watching carefully. She drew narrowed eyes and a set of jagged teeth, nice and scary, and when she was satisfied she stepped back and popped the cap on her marker.

“There, see?”

“I do. Thank you.” Equinox stepped to the side, almost bumped into when she had stood up. He started again with his pumpkin, this time Zatanna watching as he tried to emulate her example. It looked closer to a goofy vampire than anything scary, but it was a decent attempt.

“Much better.” Zatanna encouraged, sounding proud again. Equinox held up the pumpkin for a better look at his work.

“I think you’re right.” He agreed.

He was smiling again.


End file.
